Question For Travelthomas

[YankeeDB]

Hi TT, I have enjoyed your many informative posts throughout the site. You have certainly had an interesting life and I envy your extensive travel experiences.

What I was wondering about specifically is how you handle explaining to hotels/motels why are you cooking in your room?

Also, aside from the multi-fuel stove you mentioned, do you like any of the portable electrical devices such as the George Foreman grills or hot plates or electric griddles?

What are the tricks and tips for cleaning cookware in a hotel room? Do you take your own dishes, use throwaways, eat out of the pan, or....?

I suspect for a while my own travel will be limited to the USA and so would like to know how I could be minimalist in my luggage yet able to prepare good food in my room. I suppose I could always stipulate a refrigerator though not necessarily a microwave.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[plantime]

Hi, Yankee. I know I'm not Thomas, but I suggest that if you are going to travel in the continental US, try driving instead of flying. You can store your cooking gear in the trunk, and tailgate cook if you need to. I would use disposable dishes whenever possible, simply because I hate washing dishes! The sinks in hotels are rarely large enough!

[tarnalberry]

Another consideration is that a lot of areas have residence-inn type places that have kitchens (with fridges) in the rooms. Very convenient!

[celiac3270]

I, too, am certainly not "TravelThomas", but when I went skiing, I never ate out. Recently diagnosed, and having been plagued with symptoms for years, I didn't trust the restaurants. As for telling the hotel.......if you clean up well enough and put your cooking gear in a suitcase or bag when maid service comes, you don't have to.

Obviously, having a small fridge in the room is helpful...if not, a cooler filled with ice can substitute. I agree with plantime in that I'd recommend driving. I find disposable plates to be best; you don't need to store them, and you can buy them at your destination. I brought a toaster oven and a George Foreman grill. The toaster oven allows you to eat toasted bagels or breads for breakfast, and you can cook potatoes, or whatever else, in it for dinner. The Foreman, obviously is helpful to add meat to your diet. My family has a larger one, which we brought on vacation, but I've seen smaller ones in various bright colors, that might be more suitable for travel. I don't have much to say...I've only gone on vacation on the gluten-free diet once...My ramblings probably had no useful information, but I hope there's something in there that's of use......

[YankeeDB]

Thank you everyone for your excellent suggestions! I'm definitely going to invest in an electric grill the next time I travel. celiac3270, how easy is the one you have to clean?

[celiac3270]

To wash it....you just need to have it over a sink and sponge down the grilling part.....it can get slightly messy, but it's not particularly difficult...and if you just clean up after yourself, the hotel doesn't have to know

-celiac3270

[travelthomas]

Hi YankeeDB,

About cooking in the room; some are understand and some do not. The ones who do not make me cook outside (and they just tolerate that). I do not like to be deceitful, but I have to agree with celiac3270. What the hotel owners don

[celiac3270]

For plane travel I take as much of my own food as possible, and on the real long air trips I take my chances with the airplane food (being real careful to avoid gluten). From what I hear they are starting to eliminate meals on flights, so it will not seem that strange if you bring meals with you.

My dad, who travels A LOT (mostly to Europe and around US, though...sometimes to Singapore or Hong Kong, but not usually). Since I was diagnosed he's more aware about celiac disease, obviously, and he's heard people asking for their gluten-free meals.....they must be relatively accomodating on planes, then.....just a thought

-celiac3270

[Thomas]

some airlines have gluten-free food choices

[dianne]

Yankee, Just wanted to put my two cents in. Did you know there are meals, which come in a resealable pouch, which only need boiling water to be added? I get them online, through Gluten Solutions. They have them listed under the brand, Gluten Free Cafe. Happy traveling!

Dianne